Ruahine Forest Park - Central West

The main species to hunt in the Ruahine Forest Park is red deer, which is common throughout. This area provides good bush hunting as well as some nice hunting on open tussock tops.

Possums and hares are present but use of .22 and shot guns are prohibited, as is hunting during the hours of darkness. Permits to use traps are available from the local DOC office.

General information

The Ruahine Forest Park covers an area of 94,000 ha which consists of tussock tops, craggy peaks, bush covered ranges and picturesque rivers. It stretches almost 100 km from the Taruarau River in the north to the Manawatu Gorge in the south.

This page covers the western area from the bottom of the Mokai Patea Range south to the bottom of the Ngamoko range.

Access 

Public roads

• Renfrew Road provides access to the park boundary for the Rangiwahia Hut and Deadmans Tracks. Travel up past the villages of Kimbolton and Rangiwahia. Continue along Te Para Para Road, on to Renfrew Road. Follow this to the carpark at the end. 

Agreed access poled routes      

• Mania Road provides access to the Mania Track. Travel past the villages of Kimbolton and Rangiwahia. At Karewarewa, turn right onto Mania Road and follow this to the road-end. A poled access leads to the Ruahine Forest Park from here. 
• East Mangahuia Bowling Road provides access to the Ruahine Forest Park, although no tracks start from this point. Turn right onto Āpiti Road just past the village of Kimbolton. This becomes Oroua Valley Road before Āpiti. Follow this through Āpiti on to Main South Road. Turn right onto East Mangahuia Bowling Road and follow it to the DOC access sign and poled route near the road-end.
• Table Flat Road / Petersons Road provides access to the Oroua Valley and Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge. Just past the village of Kimbolton, turn right onto Āpiti Road which becomes Oroua Valley Road. Go through Āpiti, take the second turn right onto Table Flat Road and continue for several kilometres. Take Petersens road on your left and continue to the end. Take this road to the car park on farmland at the end of the road. Access to Ruahine Forest Park is short walk down from carpark.
• Table Flat Road / Limestone Road provides access to Shorts, Knights and Deerford tracks, Leon Kinvig hut and Mid-Pohangina Valley. Just past the village of Kimbolton, turn right onto Āpiti Road which becomes Oroua Valley Road. Go through Āpiti, take the second turn right onto Table Flat Road and continue for several kilometres.  Follow this until you see the signpost for Limestone Road (veers to the right near the end of Table Flat Road). The DOC carpark is at the road-end.

Access by prior arrangement only

Visitors must contact the landowners to make arrangements for access beforehand.

• Mangakukeke Road provides access to Purity Hut.
  Turn right off State Highway 1 just north of Mangaweka. Cross the Rangitikei River and follow Kawhatau Valley Road. This eventually leads to Upper Kawhatau Valley Road; not far past this turn right onto Mangakukeke Road. To access the Purity Hut track, continue to the car park at the road end. A poled access crosses private land before reaching the ridgeline track to Purity hut. Prior permission from the landowner must be obtained. Contact details are available from the Palmerston North Office.
  Access to Kelly Knight and Pourangaki huts from Mangakukeke Road is currently closed.
• An alternative route to Mid-Pohangina hut that avoids walking the river is to cross private farmland about 1km past the DOC Pohangina Base. To get there, head north up the Pohangina Valley from Ashhurst and turn onto the Pohangina Valley East Road. Continue up the valley past the DOC Pohangina Base approximately 28km from Raumai Junction. A sign on the farm gate on the side of the road indicates the start of the track. No dogs are allowed on this land, and the access is closed during lambing. Prior permission must be obtained from the landowner; contact details are available from the Palmerston North Office.

Commercial transport

Access to hunting areas can be arranged via commercial operators. They operate under a concession licence and are subject to conditions such as landing permissions and operational conditions like flooding and tides.

View a list of DOC-approved helicopter operators in Ruahine Forest Park.

Maps

NZTopo50 BL36

Dogs

The Ruahine Forest Park hunting permit allows one dog per hunter to be used. If using dogs, they must be be avian-aversion certified. You must carry the avian-aversion certificate and your hunting permit while hunting. You are responsible for and must be in control of your dogs at all times. A special permit from the Palmerston North Office is required for the use of more than one dog.     

Huts

• Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge
• Iron Gate Hut
• Kelly Knight Hut
• Leon Kinvig Hut
• Ngamoko Hut
• Pourangaki Hut
• Purity Hut
• Rangiwahia Hut
• Top Gorge Hut
• Triangle Hut
• Waterfall Hut

Additional information

DOC are keen to hear of any goat sightings or kills made. Contact the Palmerston North Office.